Monday, October 24, 2005

Gelatinous Citizen: Rhythm of Industry

More bottom of the box "favors" for you.

Gelatinous Citizen were a local (Arlington VA) based underground electronic one-man outfit (all music, production attributed to Ferd) that mixed industrial sounds with new wave pop and gothic but in such a soothing way as to often create novocaine-ish pre-trance electro-pop even while and in support of the songs that decry/celebrate alienation, conformity and apathy.

What's to like? mixing of various 80's influences such as Gary Numan, Kraftwerk, Bauhaus, Public Image Ltd. and even Prince (vocal processing) and if you can't get beyond the synths quite a bit of a variety within the one-man band construct. The songs follow mostly 8-bar conventional pop structures with instrumental side-trips into funky synth robot land.

What's not to like? the overabundance of synth - in particular that synthy synth sound so popular in the 80's. The drum machine programming is often one-dimensional and cliched. The songs follow mostly 8-bar conventional pop structures with instrumental side-trips into funky synth robot land.

Gelatinous Citizen also appeared on several 80's underground new wave/ industrial compilations (Back to the Grindstone, Flexipop (from France, but of course) Fanzine comps, etc. ...) and even an early Washington Area Music Association compilation CD of DC local artists where Ferd shared space with those 80's local bands I thought I had forgot: Strange Boutique and Bruno Loves Danger (I'm such a name dropper).

This record, in mint shape and with the insert (I seem to have lost it) fetches upwards of $50 on some of the used record sites. I'm not exactly sure why but some people are really wild about the underground 80's electronic scene (see previous reviews on Smershand Mike Wran). To my knowledge, Ferd never played out in the local area or at least I never saw it advertised. I probably got this record as a promo while writing reviews for a DC fanzine. And, I have no idea what became of him although I did pick up a trace of evidence or two that he got involved in the Trance scene.

Wallowing in nostalgia lately, I came across this site in a google search. Man, I echo the other anonymous poster's plea--a rip? I can't find this album anywhere, and the guy's website has apparently been abandoned, so I can't order it from him, either. I bought this thing back in the day. Woule love to hear it all again (your mp3 links have expired/been kiled). My brother sold the album in the early 90s to buy drugs. Wah. Help me!!!